Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for November 21-29

"Lots to do. Too much to do to mope"... MoCo vigil, fightback convo in Silver Spring with Elizabeth Warren, plus links to recent blogs...

Welcome to Progressive Maryland’s Weekly Memo for November 21-29

Lots to do. Too much to do to mope. Maryland and the sky are still blue, and we can make our Free State even better while fighting exploitation of workers, bullying and abuse – and starting at home.

>>The Fight for Fifteen continues in Montgomery County, and the County Council needs to move on it. Four years ago workers took a stand against low wages and went on strike across the country to demand a living wage for all. We're continuing that fight right here in Montgomery County. RSVP for a vigil Nov. 29 to get the Council moving.

The Montgomery County Council has the opportunity to raise the minimum wage to $15/hr and provide a raise for 107,000 hard-working county residents.

And we need them to act now.

We're holding a vigil in solidarity with all working people and demanding the County Council take quick action to pass a $15 minimum wage for all–no exemptions, no exceptions.

Please RSVP below to attend the event and stand with Montgomery County's working families. Tuesday, November 29, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Montgomery County Council Building in Rockville, MD

>> “Community Conversation” Nov. 30 in Silver Spring. New Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, plus Sen. Elizabeth Warren and two newly elected progressive House-mates of Raskin’s, will join for a “community conversation” (and, yes, a fundraiser) to face up to and defeat the forces of reaction that think they’re taking control.

“We're in tough times--the hard Right is in power, the Alt-Right is in office, and hate crimes are on the rise everywhere,” Raskin said in a message to supporters. “The Election in which most actual voters voted to address climate change, rebuild the infrastructure, and promote gun safety, became another electoral college debacle, leaving most Americans playing defense against right-wing policies and provocations. But we're not turning back. We're standing our ground.

Reading the Progressive Maryland BlogSpace: our blogs for the previous week are show below, but if you want a handy way to keep track – and never miss a blog post – you can sign up to get this Weekly Memo by email. Remember this is your blogspace and your participation is heartily invited. See something going on that you don’t like – or that you do like and hope to see more of? Send us your thoughts; submit to the moderator at woodlanham@gmail.com.

Time to tear ourselves away from obsessing about the national election and refocus, of course, on Maryland. The anatomy of the state and its voters as shown by election results are analyzed; prospects for the dominant but shaky Democrats in the Free State, and, well, a look at urban areas as sites of resistance and the January inaugural festivities as protest locale...

By Patty Snee A rare bright spot in this rough election experience: Question A in Howard County passes with a solid majority, bringing limited public financing to local elections and fending off the effects of big outside money. Here's the kind of work it took to bring HoCo voters up to speed on the ballot question.

Longtime state observer/commentator Barry Rascovar, writing for The Maryland Reporter, surveys the political geography of Maryland as it rejected Donald Trump vehemently last week, and assesses the way party politics may play out between now and the 2018 election. A conclusion one could derive here that might apply nationwide: urbanized areas will be the locus of resistance to a Trump/GOP administration.

By Larry Stafford Progressive Maryland's executive director says "It’s time for progressives to take the reins of the party from the Democratic establishment and begin to boldly organize our base for the fight of our lives."

Keeping up with the blogs is easier with the index. The blogs published in the PM BlogSpace since June 2015 are all available with descriptions and links here.